Govt Unveils 5 Phases Of Returning Schools To Normalcy
The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, Thumisang Thabela has said the reopening of schools will be staggered, with exam classes resuming lessons first.
She revealed this while addressing the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Primary and Secondary Education on Wednesday.
Below are the five phases envisaged by education authorities:
Phase One: Focus is on examination classes — these are Form Fours, Form Sixes and Grade Sevens.
Phase Two: Will follow after three weeks and will be for classes writing exams in 2021. All classes will be split into two to allow social distancing.
Phase Three: Is when the rest of high school learners will go to school and in primary, Grades Three, Four and Five will return to schools.
Phase Four: classrooms will be used up due to social distancing. In this phase, Grade One and Two learners will return to class.
Phase Five: By this point, winter should be over for ECD classes to return to school.
Thabela said learners at schools like Prince Edward and Girls High School that are being used as quarantine centres would have to make a compromise when the second term starts.
